Blame it on the weather

Albert's On-line Club
“It’s so hot outside! I feel I’m an egg frying out there. Just add a bit of salt, and I’ll be ready for breakfast. I tell you…”Steve went on.

“There he goes again,” Martha, one of his co-workers at the Evening Star, said. “Once Steve starts about the weather, he doesn’t stop.”

The Evening Star, a small newspaper, was located in downtown Boston. The city is known for having very different weather in each of the four seasons. Some people enjoy that kind of variety, but not Steve. He grew up in southern Florida, where it’s basically hot and humid most of the year, without much variation.

“Really,” Steve continued, “it’s unbearable. I don’t know how I put up with living here. It’s like being in an oven.”

Steve’s colleagues were so used to his complaining that they hardly paid attention anymore. He worked at the newspaper as a reporter, so he frequently went out on assignment to interview people, collect information, or investigate a story. No matter what he was doing, or what the season was, Steve complained non-stop, like a scratched CD that keeps repeating the same thing over and over.

In the cold of winter, when snow covered the city, more optimistic people commented on how pleasant and romantic the streets looked. They cheerfully watched the delicate snow flakes fall. And, they warned themselves with thoughts of holiday season. But not Steve.

“I’ m freezing,” he moaned to his assistant. “I just don’t how I tolerate this weather. You know, if I slip and fall, the snow’s going to cover me, and I’ll wind up like a giant ice cube. And then, I shall sue, sue, sue!”

Naturally, Steve also came down with several colds. After all, aren’t people supposed to get more colds in the winter time?

Basically, Steve’s problem was he never took responsibility for what happened to him. He looked for something to blame, and the weather was the most convenient.

“Steve, why don’t you loosen up?” his friend Tim suggested. “I mean, sometimes it’s really boring listening to you. Think about it this way: If the weather didn’t change as the seasons pass, life would be a lot less interesting. Come to think of it, if that were the case, you’d probably complain about how nothing ever changed.”

“Aw, gimme a break,” Steve replied. “You can’t say you’re totally indifferent about weather it rains or snows. I’m sure it can change your mood, can’t it?”

“Yeah, probably. But, I don’t take it that seriously. Just take it easy. That’s all I’m saying.”

Steve respected Tim’s opinion. For a while, Steve tried relaxing and not paying attention to the climate. But then he realized he didn’t have anything to talk about at work. His main topic of conversation was missing.

Anyway, a few days later Steve forgot about what Tim had said. All it look was a hot summer day to get Steve back into prime complaining form. When he walked into the office, everyone knew from the look on his face what was coming.

“Uh, oh. Let’s get out of his way,” Betty from accounting said.

“I think I’m burning!” Steve began. “It’s like a fire out there!”

“You’re telling me,” a man whom Steve had never seen before said. “I had to walk three miles to get there. I think I’ve got a sunburn. Not only that, but my hair is wet, my clothes are soaked in sweat, and I ‘m tired.”

“You said it. And another thing-” Steve tried to say.

“Yeah, and another thing. I’ve been feeling sick lately. I think it’s this lousy weather. Some day I’m gonna get out of this area.”

“We haven’t met, have we?” Steve asked the man.

“No, I don’t think so. I’m Chris. I started here today.”

“Nice to meet you,” Steve answered. “You know, this weather-”

“Right. As I was saying…” Chris went on and on and on. If people thought Steve sounded like a scratched CD, then Chris was a scratched CD library. He never shut up. Even while working, he mumbled to himself about the weather.

A few days later, when everyone in the office was ready to toss Chris out the window, Steve said to a colleague, “Is that what I sound like?”

“Now you’ve got it,” his colleague answered.

“God, that’s terrible. Sorry. I guess it is kind of stupid complaining about the weather all the time.”

After a moment standing there looking out the window, Steve got excited. His eyes lit up, his face turned red, and , as he pointed to the street below, he said, “But you know, that traffic outside really makes me mad!”

“Oh, no, here we go again,” Steve’s colleague said. But Steve wasn’t listening. He was too busy complaining about the traffic.



Questions
B 1.What was the name of the newspaper where Steve worked?
a)The Morning Sun
b)The Evening Star
c)The Boston Herald
d)The Washington Post
A 2.What was the weather like where Steve grow up?
a)Hot and humid
b)Cold and snowy
c)Rainy and windy
d)Dry and hot
D 3.What did Tim say about Steve’s complaining?
a)He thought it was funny.
b)He thought it was interesting.
c)He didn’t care.
d)He thought it was boring.
B 4.What was special about Steve’s new colleague?
a)He was really funny.
b)He complained more than Steve.
c)He liked to sing songs while working.
d)He fought with everyone.
C 5.What became Steve’s new topic to complain about?
a)The government
b)His boss
c)Traffic
d)Computers